The Second Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa positioned Ethiopia as a continental leader in climate, with the country signing a landmark MOU with Italy to support its National Adaptation Plan and launching its Climate Change Gender Action Plan. Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiative, launched in 2019, has been successful in reversing deforestation while planting billions of trees, demonstrating how climate interventions can align with development goals. The summit's focus on "Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa's Resilient and Green Development" brought together more than 45 heads of state to reshape the continent's role in global climate finance. A key outcome was the launch of the Just Resilience Framework by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, providing a policy tool for locally-led climate adaptation that reflects grassroots needs and African contexts. The summit concluded with Ethiopia's President expressing hopes that Africa will move from being "at the table" to "setting the global agenda" as a greener, more prosperous continent.

A comprehensive 15-year study has revealed a troubling climate-health connection: rising temperatures are significantly increasing Americans' consumption of added sugar, particularly affecting vulnerable populations. Researchers analysing over 40,000 households found that for every 1°C temperature increase within 12-30°C, sugar consumption rises by 0.7 grams per person daily, primarily through sugary drinks and frozen desserts. Lower-income and less-educated households show the strongest response, consuming over five times more sugary beverages during hot weather - groups already at higher risk for diet-related diseases. The study projects that by 2095, Americans could consume nearly 3 additional grams of sugar daily due to global warming, equivalent to over 380,000 tonnes annually. This represents a previously unrecognised pathway through which climate change threatens public health, potentially exacerbating obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease rates across the population.

A landmark report warns that the 2026 World Cup could be North America's final tournament under current conditions, with 14 of 16 host stadiums already exceeding safe-play thresholds for extreme heat, flooding, and rainfall. By 2050, nearly 90% of stadiums will face unplayable heat conditions, while two-thirds of grassroots pitches where legends like Lionel Messi and Mo Salah developed their skills will face unsafe or unplayable heat conditions by mid-century. The report extends beyond elite venues: Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong's childhood pitch will endure nearly five months of unplayable heat annually by 2050, while Tim Cahill's Sydney ground faces flood depths up to 7 meters during extreme events. The report represents the first global climate risk assessment for football, providing governing bodies with unprecedented data to guide adaptation strategies for the world's most popular sport.

The UN Climate Change Adaptation Committee released a groundbreaking synthesis report revealing how developing countries are revolutionising climate governance through inclusive institutional arrangements and stakeholder engagement. The comprehensive analysis showcases examples, including engagement with Indigenous Peoples, women, youth, civil society, and the private sector, to strengthen legitimacy and ensure local relevance. Countries like Bangladesh have invested $5 billion in climate-resilient infrastructure, while Kenya and Peru have successfully integrated local knowledge into adaptation planning. However, persistent barriers remain: limited financial access, insufficient institutional capacity, and difficulties sustaining stakeholder engagement. The report represents the third in a biennial series mandated under the Paris Agreement, following previous analyses of hazard management and adaptation costs, and will inform the next global stocktake.

London's 162-year-old Underground system is racing to adapt its Victorian-era infrastructure to record-breaking summer heat, with Transport for London (TfL) announcing air conditioning trials for the deepest Tube lines starting in 2026. The crisis is acute: platform temperatures regularly exceed 30°C in summer, with some carriages reaching >35°C - up to 5°C hotter than surface readings. The health impacts are severe, with passengers reporting fainting, dehydration, and respiratory strain, particularly affecting elderly, pregnant, and disabled travellers. However, the engineering challenge is immense: deep tunnels surrounded by heat-absorbing clay make traditional air conditioning nearly impossible due to space constraints and heat dissipation issues. TfL's solution involves fitting air conditioning units under trains on the Piccadilly Line, made possible by smaller, more efficient technology and improved track design. Broader adaptation measures include cooling panels, groundwater cooling systems, and enhanced ventilation, but experts warn these incremental measures may struggle to keep pace with accelerating climate change.

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